Immigrants are our Neighbors:

No More Racist Deportations!

As the racist Trump administration sends ICE to abduct our immigrant neighbors, and local leaders do nothing to stop it, the job of defending immigrants falls to the community itself. Para leer en español, haga clic aquí.

It only took a few days for the Trump administration to start mass arrests & deportations. ICE raids are tearing families apart in working class communities all over the country. On the orders of a white nationalist President whose agenda is to serve the rich.

Criminalizing migrant workers only serves the rich corporations who underpay and exploit them. Deportations only serve an agenda of racial nationalism, disguising racism against Latino and other immigrant communities behind law & order scare tactics.

Metro Justice believes that migrants, regardless of race or religion, should have the right to come to the US easily and affordably (the way many Americans’ European ancestors did). We support a general amnesty to allow all immigrants in the US to live without fear of their bosses or their neighbors getting them deported.

The deportation of immigrants and refugees is morally offensive and must be stopped, whether migrants are undocumented or not, authorized or not. New York State and all local governments and school districts must refuse to cooperate with federal deportation operations in any way, including data-sharing.

Throughout Rochester and the surrounding rural areas, immigrant workers are essential to many industries of our regional economy, especially farmworkers whose underpaid labor feeds us all. These people are an integral part of our community, and deserve to live and work in safety not in fear.

We’ve already had several ICE raids in Rochester, as well as in Henrietta and Fairport.  Rochester’s Sanctuary City policy (that Metro Justice fought for in the 80s) means the RPD doesn’t coordinate with ICE. The Mayor and City Council President both confirmed in local news that they’re not cooperating, but they take no further responsibility for defending our people. They said ‘it’s important for individuals to know their rights,’ but it’s the ACLU and NY Immigration Coalition actually doing that work.

City Hall can and must do more: denying ICE access to City and RCSD property, sending legal observers to monitor ICE activity and enforce human rights, and filing whatever legal actions possible. We deserve real leadership, not the shameful cowardice (or maybe just indifference) we’re seeing now.

Until local politicians decide to join the fight, Metro Justice stands with those who defend our immigrant neighbors. We’re glad to announce that the Rochester Rapid Response Network is back!

Anyone aware of ICE raids, traffic checkpoints, or other ICE presence should contact the Rapid Response Network at 585-420-6471 immediately with as many details as possible. And when Rapid Response calls, Metro Justice will do everything we can to mobilize our people. Public resistance is the best defense we have.

An attack on our immigrant neighbors is an attack on all of us! ICE out of Rochester!